“K” Line’s Daito set to build electric tugboat

The “K” Line subsidiary Daito Corporation has signed an agreement with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) and Daizo Corporation to build an electric tugboat that will be equipped with a 3.2 MWh lithium-ion battery.

In a statement issued on Friday (8 November), “K” Line said that the battery system will ‘significantly reduce’ the tugboat’s fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

The vessel will also feature a newly-developed hull design and ‘the automatic control of onboard power demands utilising the latest IoT technologies’, which will further optimise energy consumption and engine performance,

The tugboat is being constructed at Daizo’s shipyard, with KHI providing the control and propulsion systems and its integration.

Construction is scheduled to be completed in May 2027, after which the tugboat will provide towage services for vessels at the ports of Yokohama and Kawasaki.

Image: “K” Line